As the opioid epidemic continues to plague communities across the nation, health officials face growing concern over a number of related threats to our health, such as increasing rates of HIV, hepatitis C, and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). In this episode, public health leaders from Alaska, Kentucky, and West Virginia discuss the evolution of the opioid epidemic and explain why health departments are so integral to the response.

GUESTS:

• Rahul Gupta, commissioner and state health officer, West Virginia Bureau for Public Health
• Connie White, senior deputy commissioner, Kentucky Department for Public Health
• Jay Butler, chief medical officer, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services

NEWS SOURCE:

• ABC News: On the front lines of the opioid crisis across the US: Part 1 https://youtu.be/s4LV0tBZncI